THE COACH’S PULSE
Craig Berube — Post-Game Breakdown After 5–1 Win in Carolina
Berube discusses a strong road effort, Woll’s injury, Dennis Hildeby stepping in, shot blocking, and why puck confidence has surged late in the trip.
On What He Liked in the 5–1 Win
“Yeah, it’s a tough building to come into, I’ll tell you that. They put a lot of stress on you with shot volume and things. We blocked some shots and battled and, you know, scored on our chances that we got.”
On Woll’s Injury Status
“Uh, well, we’ll see tomorrow. I think lower body right now. See where he’s at.”
On Finding Out Woll Wouldn’t Return
“How do I find out? They come and tell me — a trainer.”
On Handling the Team’s Injuries & Uncertainty This Season
“Well, I mean this stuff happens and you just handle it. Told Beast he’s going in and he did a great job for us.”
On Joseph Woll’s Injury
“Right now I can’t give you that answer. I really don’t know. Hopefully it’s not, but I really liked the way Beast came in and handled it.”
On Hildeby’s Preparation & Play
“Yeah, he’s done a great job for us. I talked about back in camp — thought he had a really good camp, came in prepared. And it showed tonight. It’s not easy to come in there in that situation. I loved when he’s ripping pucks around the wall. Everything’s hard and he battled at the net and made some good saves for us in the third period.”
On Matthews’ Line and Overall Team Play
“Well, he’s been really good this whole trip for me. I thought that line was really good tonight — they carried it in my opinion. Not just on the scoresheet, all around. Matthews had six blocks and did a great job killing penalties. But the whole team contributed. It was a good team win. It’s not an easy place to come into and win.”
On Scoring First on the First Shot Again
“Well, confidence — puts you in a good spot right away, right? A little momentum. And that line again, they were very good.”
On How the Team Feels Compared to Earlier in the Trip
“From the start of the trip to now, just the confidence with the puck is in a way better spot more than anything.”
On Where That Puck Confidence Comes From
“I think just — we talked about it. Puck possession, making some more plays, wanting the puck a little more, working for each other. They’ve done a good job grabbing that and going with it. Showing video, talking about it, and working on it in practice a bit more than we have.”
On Stolarz’s Status
“No, he’s not on the ice yet.”
On Carrying Momentum Into the Montreal Game
“It’s important. After a road trip, you come home, you got a day off, and then we’ve got to get back at it against a big rival, Montreal. You get home and there’s things going on at home with your families — that’s important — but we’ve got to take what we did on the road here and bring it home. Urgency for me is everything in that game.”
Pulse Takeaway
Toronto delivered one of its most complete efforts of the road trip — scoring early, blocking shots, and managing pressure in a notoriously difficult building. Hildeby’s composed relief performance steadied the group after Woll exited, while Matthews’ line continued its dominant two-way stretch. Berube highlighted growing puck confidence and stressed carrying that urgency into Saturday’s rivalry game against Montreal.
Quotes via Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube).
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.